Davido, Burna Boy To Feature In Idris Elba’s Africa Day Benefit Concert

Davido, Burna Boy To Feature In Idris Elba’s Africa Day Benefit Concert

Nigeria’s A-list musicians, Davido and Burna Boy, are lining up alongside other African music stars to perform at an online concert to be hosted by Hollywood actor, Idris Elba.

Tagged ‘African Day Benefit Concert at Home,’ the concert is being held to celebrate the African Union which was established on May 25, 1963 to fight colonialism.

It is also a humanitarian effort to raise funds for those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The concert will be streamed on Africa’s giant music channel, MTV Base Africa, and YouTube on Monday, a statement by organisers said on Wednesday.

“The two-hour special will raise funds to support food and health needs for children and families in Africa affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the World Food Programme and UNICEF who are supporting COVID-affected communities across Africa,” the statement read.

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the potential impact of COVID -19 on food security in Africa is likely to exacerbate the already existing burden of malnutrition.

As of Thursday morning, more than 95,000 people have been infected with the virus in Africa with 2,995 deaths resulting from it.

The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, in a press statement said the impact of the disease is expected to be greater among those grappling with food scarcity and malnutrition.

The World Food Programme (WFP) director for Southern Africa,Lola Castro, was also quoted in the statement as saying: “We are concerned about the prospect of COVID-19 causing a hunger catastrophe.”

Buoyed by this fear, the humanitarian concert seeks to tackle challenges of food shortage and health.

All funds raised will go to the World Food Program and the UNICEF who are supporting coronavirus-affected communities across Africa, according to the statement from YouTube and ViacomCBS Network Africa.